Today's SaberSphere takes a look at hitting out of the 9th spot, interleague play, and Doc Halladay. We also traverse the baseball world
Previously on Beyond the Box Score
- The Hardest Thing To Do In Sports: Hitting A Baseball (When You're A Pitcher) by Stephen Loftus - Beyond The Box Score
Almost everything you ever wanted to know about pitchers and hitting is covered in Stephen's latest piece. He looks at the history, the present, and the future, making sure you leave knowing everything there is, and might be concerning the 9-spot in the batting order in the National League.
- Home Run Depth Perception by Chris St. John - Beyond the Box Score
It seems that every Tuesday Chris St. John comes up with another great piece. Well, you won't be disappointed with this one. He looks at the grandest home runs, and discusses where they are hit, how we perceive them, and what we can learn from this discussion. Never miss a Chris St. John article, it's a rule I live by, and so should you.
- BtBS Podcast #55: PitchingBackwards by Blake Murphy - Beyond the Box Score
We love our baseball articles because, let's face it, reading is fun, still we can't read while driving, working, cooking, or working out. That's where the BTBS podcast comes in. Blake Murphy and our fearless leader Bryan Grosnick take to the air every week, now twice a week, discussing baseball, but doing so with a statistical and analytical approach. This week they talk Nationals baseball, Roy Halladay's issues, and my personal favorite, the "weird stat of the day."
Around the Sabersphere
- Interleague Attendance Lagging in Season's First Five Weeks by Wendy Thurm - Fangraphs
Now that interleague play is a weekly event, we can compare this new phenomenon to the slightly older paradigm. I have difficulty finding better baseball business reads than those written by former practicing lawyer Wendy Thurm and Maury Brown. Thurm, a Giants fan, can be found on Twitter @hangingsliders, and always has a well-written interesting piece on Fangraphs. This one on interleague attendance is similarly great.
- What Is A Good Hitting Coach Worth? By Russell A. Carleton - Baseball Prospectus
We love to focus on players and neglect coaches completely when analyzing the game, but at a certain point we might as well look at the coaching aspect. Players and pundits note the importance of coaches, most of which is psychological, but a small amount of which is not. At Baseball Prospectus, no stone is left unturned, and Russell Carleton, who has become a staple of my weekly baseball reading, looks now at hitting coaches' value.
- That other infield shift, and five hitters who should fear it by Noah Woodward - The Hardball Times
Shifts have become a fad in the big leagues, from the Rays and Orioles who shift often even to the Phillies and Royals who shift far less often. Most shifts come against pull-happy lefties like David Ortiz and Ryan Howard, but lately the concept has shifted across the batter's box to right-handed hitters. Noah Woodward of The Hardball Times takes a look at these shifts.
Around SB Nation
- Roy Halladay injury: Phillies RHP placed on DL with right shoulderinflammation by Rodger Sherman - SB Nation
To no one's surprise, the Phillies' Roy Halladay was placed on the disabled list. Why, for how long, and to what end are the questions being asked around the league. In addition, who will replace him in the Phillies rotation? Rodger Sherman has the answers and links.
- Yu Darvish and 300-strikout seasons by Marc Normandin - MLB Nation
Have you seen Yu Darvish pitch this season? Well, if not you're sorely missing out on some of the best baseball to be had in 2013. Darvish commands more pitches than most, and does so with strikeouts as the predominant result. Marc Normandin takes a closer look at the Japanese righty and his penchant for punch-outs.
Outside the Sabersphere
- It's a 401(k) World by Thomas L. Friedman - The New York Times
As a twentysomething in today's age, I often consider where I fit into today's changing world. More to the point, today's world is vastly different from 15 years ago, or even 5 years in the past. So, it's more important than ever to understand where we are, and how to be the best we can in the present. Thomas Freidman discusses this in his latest op-ed. No matter who you are, there is something to take away from this piece, I know I did.